ERYTHROMYCIN ACTIVITY AGAINST HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZA AND STREPTOCOCCUS PNEUMONIA ISOLATED FROM NASOPHARYNX OF CHILDREN IN BEIJING

Hu YY, Yu SJ, Gao W, Li J, Yang YH

Beijing Children's Hospital, Beijing, China

Objective: To determine erythromycin activity against Haemophilus influenza and Streptococcus pneumonia isolated from nasopharynx in Children attending the out-patient in Beijing Children’s Hospital.

Methods: Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 292 children 1 to 60 months old with upper respiratory tract infection in Beijing Children’s Hospital during the period of April to the end of May in 2000. Swabs were cultured in chocolate and sheep blood plates for isolating Haemophilus influenza and Streptococcus pneumonia strains. Erythromycin susceptibility of these strains was determined by E-test.

Results: 105 Haemophilus influenza and 103 Streptococcus pneumonia strains were isolated. The erythromycin minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) of Haemophilus influenza isolates range from 1.5mg/ml to 8.0 mg/ml with the MIC₉₀ at 4 mg/ml. Using the pharmacodynamic (PD) breakpoints, all the Haemophilus influenza isolates were not sensitive to erythromycin. The There were 88.3% Streptococcus pneumonia strains resistant to erythromycin with MIC range from 0.064 mg/ml to 256 mg/ml, and MIC₉₀ at 256 mg/ml.

Conclusion: The nasopharyngeal Streptococcus pneumonia and Haemophilus influenza isolates from the out-patients in Beijing Children's Hospital had a very high erythromycin resistance. The empiric treatment of respiratory tract infection should consider this situation and make some revising.

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